Knife.



W. A. YERZLEY.

KNIFE.

APPLIGATION FILED OCT. 21, 1912.

1,087,342, Pate nted Feb. 17, 1914.

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PH 60., WASHINGTON D C UNTTED STATES PATENT GFFTUE.

WILLIAM A. YERZLEY, OF NEWARK, JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO NAGLE RE BLADE KNIFE COMPANY, OF NEVIARK, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

KNIFE.

ings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to knives, and among its objects is the provision of an article of this character having simple and effective means by which the blade or other article or device employed can be quickly and readily removed and applied, and which, when in operative relation, will be securely retained, although free to be opened and closed as occasion may require. I

It will be clear that it is not necessary that a cutting blade alone be employed, as acorkscrew, a manicuring implement, and any other useful articles and devices may with equal advantage be provided, either alone or in the same handle with one or more cutting blades; and it must be understood that when the term blade alone is used, as is frequently the case for convenience of expression throughout the specification and claims, the term is sufi'iciently comprehensive to include any other article, tool or device which it may be desirable and practicable to employ, as aforesaid.

In the drawing accompanying and forming a part of this specification, I have shown in detail a few of the many forms of embodiment of the invention which, to enable those skilled in the art, to practise the same, will be fully set forth in the following description. From this it will be understood that I do not restrict myself to such showing, and that I may depart therefrom within the scope of the invention as defined by the away in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view illustrating another form of the device,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 21, 1912.

Patented Feb. 17, 1914.

Serial No. 726,931.

with the blade shown open. Figs. t and 5 are sectional views on an enlarged scale, of different forms of pivot pins. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view showing a blade of some what different construction.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the views.

A knife involving my invention comprises a handle and a blade, one of said parts having a hole and the other a pin, by which the blade and handle can be pivotally connected,

a slot leading into said hole and the pin being cut away on the outside to facilitate the passage of the pin through said slot, and

hence the insertion and removal of the blade.

While it is immaterial which part, the handle or the blade, is provided with the pivot pin, and which of said members has the hole and slot, I prefer that the pin be upon the handle and that the hole and slot be in the blade. The handle, with the pivot pin cut away at least on one side to shorten certain of its diameters, as hereinafter set forth, constitutes an article of manufacture.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, the knife therein shown comprisesa handle 5 and a blade 6, pivotally connected together by the cylindrical pin 7, which is rigid or otherwise suitably connected with the handle, the latter being furnished with the customary spring 8 to'act against the tang 9 of the blade to hold the latter in its openedjand closed positions, as'is usual, and as represented in said views. The tang 9 has a slot and a circular hole intersected by said slot, the slot being intended for the passage of the pin 7. The 'slot may be of any desirable form, and several styles thereof will be hereinafter described.

The slot shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is designated by the numeral 10, and the circular hole into which said slot leads, is indicated by the numeral 11. The pivot pin is cut away on the outside, as shown at 12, to allow it to enter an opening having an inlet of less width than the length of the pins maximum diameter, and the cut away portion or face 12 is shown in these views as flat, although this is not material, as the face 14 formed by, the removal of' the cut away portion of the pivot pin 15, (Fig. 4), is concave while the face 16 on the cut away side of the pin 17, (Fig. 5), is shown convex. These are three of the ways in which the pivot pin can be cut away, but it must be understood that the configuration of the area of the face of the pin on the cut away side is entirely immaterial so long as the object sought is attained. In like manner, the amount of material, or the size of the segment or part removed or cut away from the pin may also vary.

Referring again to the slot 10 shown in Figs. 1 and 2, it will be observed that the same forms oblique angles with the longitudinal dimension of the blade, the mouth of the slot opening into the forward or front edge of the blade 6 at the tang 9, while the rear branch of said slot is practically coincident with the longitudinal axis of said blade. The slot 10 at its junction with the circular hole 11 is narrowed somewhat, while practically the remainder of the slot, or from its mouth to near said circular hole, is approximately of uniform width, this width agreeing substantially with the maximum diameter of the pin 7. The entering, or inlet side of the circular hole 11, or where said hole communicates with the slot, equals in width practically the minimum diameter of the pin 7, or that extending through the center of the fiat face 12 on the cut away side. By cutting away the pin 7 between two points in its circumference, said pin can readily pass into the pivot hole 11 when the parts to be connected are held in suitable relation. By the formation of the slot 10 and the hole 11 there is produced upon the tang 9, a hook 18, the bill 19 of said hook being beveled, said beveled bill aiding in the ready manipulation of the blade 6. To mount the blade, the beveled portion or tip of the bill 19 is inserted between the rounded side of the pin 7 and the free portion of the spring 8, the blade 6, at this time, being in what may be considered practically its closed position. Said blade is then relatively moved toward the butt of the knife, which causes the blade 19 to swing the free portion of the spring 8 outwardly, the pin 7, at the same time, riding along the slot 10 and then into the circular hole 11, passing over the shoulder 20 at the junction of the slot 10 and the hole 11. When the pin is seated in the hole 11 the blade can be opened and closed in the usual way. To remove the blade without the assistance of any tool or device, the blade is slightly opened and moved first rearwardly and then outwardly by pressure applied to the blade or to the handle, or both. It is preferred, however, to remove it by the use of a piece of metal which is pressed against the tip, or point, while the blade is in the closed position, the pressure being, of course, applied rearwardly, or in the direction of the tang. In Fig. 3 the blade is indicated by the numeral 21, the pivot pin by 22, the pivot hole by 23, and the slot in the tang of the blade, by 24. In this construction, the inner terminal portion of the slot 24 is made narrower than the inner terminal portion of the slot 10, thereby forming a shoulder 25 to more readily secure the blade when open, and the pin 22 is cut away to a greater degree, this being practically the only difference between the two forms.

In Fig. 6 the slot and the hole in the tang are like those shown in Fig. 1, one corner of the tang 26 being rounded, as shown at 27. By such a construction the blade can be more easily manipulated, but is, at the same time, held by the spring with sufficient permanence and security for all purposes.

It will be evident that I have, as aforesaid, used the term blade in a broad and comprehensive sense, to include not only a cutting part, but all other tools, articles or devices which it may be found convenient or desirable to employ.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A pocket knife provided with a back spring, a blade pivot mounted opposite the spring, said pivot being cut away on the side remote from the spring and a blade having an angular opening therein, whose mouth or inlet is of less width than the length of the maximum diameter of the pivot, the inner extremity of the opening being circular and of a diameter approximately equal to the maximum diameter of the pivot.

2. In a pocket knife, a handle including a back spring, side members and a pivot mounted in said side members, said pivot being circular in cross section except for a flattened portion upon the side remote from the spring, a knife blade, a tang upon the said blade, the tang being provided with a slot extending from the edge corresponding with the cutting edge of the knife obliquely toward the rear, the tang having therethrough a circular hole into which said slot opens, the slot being contracted at its juncture with the hole to a width substantially equal to the shortest diameter of the pivot, the diameter of the hole and the width of the principal portion of the slot being substantially equal to the greatest diameter of the pivot.

8. In combination, a blade having in its tang a slot extending from one edge obliquely toward the rear, said tang having therethrough a circular hole into which said slot opens, said slot being contracted at its juncture with the hole, a handle provided with a back spring, a blade pivot in said handle, said pivot being in cross section, the segment of a circle with its flat side re mote from said spring, the shortest diameter of the pivot being no longer than the hwiiith of the slot at its juncture with the 4. In combination, a blade having in its tang a slot extending from the edge corresag sponding to the cutting edge of the blade obliquely toward the rear, said tang having therethrough a circular hole into which said slot opens, said slot being contracted at its juncture with the hole, the opening between the slot and hole being so positioned as to form a shoulder in front of the hole upon the side toward the back of the blade, a handle provided with a spring, a blade pivot in said handle, said pivot being in cross section, the segment of a circle with its fiat side remote from said spring, the shortest diameter of the pivot being no longer than the width of the slot at its juncture with the hole.

In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM A. YERZLEY.

Witnesses:

C. E. ECHU, E. SOHAEFFER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of latents. Washington, D. G. 

